To Breed or Not to Breed, That Is the Question

It is possibly the most contentious rivalry in the whole of the pet community — Breeding vs. Adoption. Both camps have die hard advocates and both have a well thought out stance. Some say it’s an issue of morality, some call it genetic preservation, while others still think it is nothing more than preference.

Well, we here at PetCareRx would like to hear what you think! Here is your chance to hash this whole thing out once and for all in our PetCareRx Community.

To expedite the process, I crafted a brief list of each side’s key talking points (however, don’t feel shy about letting me know if I missed anything). After that, the floor is yours!

Purchasing from a Breeder

Any die hard purebred enthusiast is quick to rattle off their list of reasons why getting a pet from a reputable breeder is of the utmost importance. They are also some of the first to admonish the practices of puppy mills and/or breeders who are not whelping healthy dogs, since it is these types of institutions that give breeding an unjustly earned bad name (so please refrain from attacking purebred enthusiasts on these grounds, since it is safe to say that anyone reading this is against the practices of these types of establishments).

As for buying from a reputable breeder, the arguments in favor are:

Finding the breed you want

It can be nice to be able to do some research, pick out a breed that has all the characteristics you are looking for, go out, and get one. And while you may be able to find a purebred at a shelter, chances are they won’t have the specific breed you are looking for. And chances are there is a breeder out there that does.

Knowing what you can expect

Since some breeds are genetically predisposed to have certain characteristics that others might want (i.e., Dalmatians aren’t always good with kids), it is good to know what you can expect, insofar as temperament and size are concerned, from your new addition to the family.

Getting ‘em while they’re young

Again, while a shelter may have young dogs, actual puppies are hard to come by, and many people feel that these first years play a huge part in developing a dog’s overall temperament. To guarantee that your dog does not have any ingrained and unwanted behaviors, training them early is the only way, and to do that you need to get them as a puppy.

Adopting from a Shelter

Rescuing a dog or cat from a shelter often makes people think they have the moral high ground on the issue, and not without some decent claims. A few of the key arguments are:

Saving a life

The first thing any shelter advocate will tell you — adopting a pet saves them from life in a shelter, or being put down. That’s pretty great.

Subtracting from the number of unwanted dogs

Go to a shelter, and it’s not hard to see — there are way more dogs out there than homes willing to take them in. And while this is in no way a call to arms, asking people to take in 15 dogs a person, it does raise the question, “Shouldn’t we be taking care of the dogs we already have? Why are we actively making more?”

Mutts are less likely to have health problems

While this is not a hard and fast rule, there is a good chance that a specific breed’s genetically transmitted health concerns are less likely to be inherited if they are cross-bred with another breed, or breeds, that don’t share that trait.

Now, head over to our community and speak your mind. Where do you stand? Let us all know!

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All you have to do is read the titles you wrote and the decision to adopt/rescue is a no brain’r. In addition to, most breeders are nothing more than backyard breeders that want the quick buck. Don’t be fooled. Oh and…tell me I am wrong when I say it is just as easy to love a rescue/adopted dog as it is to BUY one for several hundred dollars from a breeder.

PURCHASING FROM A BREEDER
FINDING THE BREED YOU WANT
KNOWING WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
GETTING ‘EM WHILE THEY’RE YOUNG

ADOPTING FROM A SHELTER
SAVING A LIFE
SUBTRACTING FROM THE NUMBER OF UNWANTED DOGS
MUTTS ARE LESS LIKELY TO HAVE HEALTH PROBLEMS

I have no issues with reputable breeders preserving the breed. However too many are using puppies to make cash. I also don’t buy that issue of having a dog from a puppy to insure behavior and temperament. Most dogs at any age respond to training. You can also get specific breeds through rescue. We raised two Siberian huskies from pups and we have rescued two Siberian huskies. One was around 6 months and the other was 2 years old when we rescued them. They had suffered physical abuse but quickly overcame their trust issues in our loving home. People who meet our dogs are surprised that such beautiful dogs could have come from shelters. Truth is that many beautiful mutts and breeds are euthanized daily. I want the reputable breeders to continue their work, but more people should consider rescue. What would it hurt to rescue one and also acquire one from a breeder. If you are not an experienced breeder, please spay and neuter your pet so you are not contributing to the numbers of pets destroyed each day.

Breeding dogs and cats for money should be outlawed until all of the unwanted animals in shelters and on the streets, living in pet stores and puppy mills are adopted and taken care of. If you love your animals.. you WILL have them spayed or neutered. That would be like breeding your children for UNWANTED and UNLOVED grand children..! You never know what kind of creep/sicko/deviant person takes ‘free to good home’ animals. Imagine the worst.. it happens every friggen day. There are millions of ‘pure bred’ and ‘high society status’ animals put to death every day in this country.. this madness has got to stop..! HAVE YOUR PETS SPAYED OR NEUTERED.

I think the most important thing right now is that breeders should stop breeding and let adopting be the primary source of animals. We have tons of dogs that have no homes and are in danger of being euthanized. I am from Canada and I know we have an abundance of unclaimed dogs and lots of euthanizing is happening. Also, take Detroit – there are over 50,000 dogs running around trying to find food, fighting, some attacking people, and some dying (even puppies). If these breeders believe and love the animals, then surely they must understand the predicament of the overpopulation of dogs. Stop thinking about the almight dollar. Let’s work with these animals and get them homes where they can be loved and nurtured. Then when balance happens people can go back to breeding dogs. However, hopefully they will breed their dogs wisely and not just for the almighty dollar. I also hope that the breeders realize that a lot of breeds are the homeless ones not just the Heinze 57 sweeties. Be smart! It doesn’t take much to realize what we as humans need to do for a short time solutions in order to help the beautiful creatures.

This is a joke, right? Millions of animals are slaughtered every year, and we still breed them ON PURPOSE?? And don’t use that watered-down, clean-sounding medical term “euthanized”. Loyal, loving animals are slaughtered each day for no other crime than having been born. As human consciousness evolves, more and more people will realize that this was a time of the Animal Holocaust. There’s not one difference between the breeding of animals for certain “superior traits” and Hitler’s mission to create the “superior human”.